


Just the Flu

by vivific



Category: Class (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Google is Unhelpful, Sick Character, pre-episode 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 06:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10713798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivific/pseuds/vivific
Summary: In which Matteusz is Not Dying Dammit, Charlie is an Adorably Annoying Alien Boyfriend, Miss Quill is ready to Fight™ as always, and April is so very glad she doesn't live with them.





	Just the Flu

**Author's Note:**

> "not gonna post things" i said four months ago...
> 
> in my defence i've had this written since class was first airing back in late 2016. And since it's re-airing on BBC America with the new Doctor Who season...
> 
> Also i really needed to look at something that wasn't ML.
> 
> Jeez, first Sleeping Beauty, now this, and I don't even like sickfic!
> 
> Also warning I had multiple second-hand embarrassment attacks while reading this again, I hate everything.

Charlie's world ends with a cough.

Specifically, it's Matteusz coughing, which sets off possibly the scariest 48 hours of Charlie's life. Alien invasions notwithstanding, Charlie has never felt such fear.

It's a sudden noise that interrupts Saturday morning dinner. Since it's the weekend, it's officially Miss Quill's turn to make breakfast. She makes bacon and fried eggs and tries some new seasoning as per Matteusz's suggestion.

"Food is just for sustenance," Miss Quill said when Matteusz scoured their pantry and finds the most minimal spices necessary.

"Have you eaten chocolate?" Matteusz asked, smiling in the way he usually did when Charlie did something particularly alien.

Miss Quill frowned, and gave a reluctant, "Yes."

"And you like how it tastes, no?"

So Miss Quill accepted his alterations.

Matteusz coughs, and barely keeps his food in his mouth. Miss Quill looks up from her tablet and scowls as the human pulls out a tissue from the box on the counter.

"Surely my cooking isn't that horrid, Matteusz," she says, though her remark is tinged with disappointment. Matteusz shakes his head sharply, but seems to be rendered temporarily mute.

Eventually, after a moment of muffled choking, Matteusz breathes and relaxes.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asks, ready to call the human emergency services.

"I'm all right," Matteusz replies, face a little flushed. He clears his throat. "I just, did not swallow it correctly." He turns to Miss Quill. "The seasoning was great, though. You can really taste the added flavour."

Miss Quill smiles, a rare, genuinely pleased smile, and returns to scrolling through her tablet. Charlie eyes his boyfriend carefully, but Matteusz gives him a reassuring nod and the prince goes back to prodding at the egg yolk.

The next warning comes around night time. They haven't done much, mostly studying with the rest of the group through laggy Skype calls, and going out for a quick walk. It's dreary and grey and Charlie doesn't fault Miss Quill for refusing to step outdoors.

The warning, however, is that Matteusz falls asleep early. Matteusz usually stays up until midnight, but perhaps it's the warmth of the heater, and calming pit-pat of rain hitting the windows, that lulls Matteusz into sleep on the couch.

"Should we wake up Sleeping Beauty?" Miss Quill asks, coming down for a coffee refill.

("Sleep is for the weak," Miss Quill said, nursing pitch-black espresso and barely lighter bags under her eyes.)

Charlie frowns for a moment, before realizing his human has fallen asleep while they were together on the couch.

('Cuddling', is what April sheepishly called it, cheeks pink as Charlie answered the group call with Matteusz in his lap. Ram laughed like there was nothing funnier, and Tanya prayed out loud that her mother would not walk in.)

He carefully, gently, extracts himself from under the dozing human, and retrieves the blankets from the free chair and drapes them over Matteusz. Miss Quill rolls her eyes and vanishes to her own room on the first floor.

Officially, Matteusz sleeps on the couch in the living room. And for the most part, he stays there. Sometimes, though, he crawls into Charlie's bed, and Miss Quill will find them curled up together in the morning.

Charlie dims the lights and retreats upstairs. He does not heed the warning sign.

The next morning, the universe has given up on warning him, and the dreaded occurs.

It's 10AM, relatively late by Charlie's standards. Of course, he knows Matteusz prefers to sleep in, but perhaps out of respect to his new housemates, he's usually off the couch by the time breakfast begins. Miss Quill has prepared breakfast again, but by the time the table has been set, Matteusz still hasn't stirred from his slumber.

Charlie frowns, though Miss Quill disregards the peculiarity and sits down with her tablet. It's her equivalent of the morning newspaper. She taps away and Charlie investigates.

"Matteusz?" Charlie asks, shaking the human. "Wake up."

The human mumbles something, and curls up into the blankets. Charlie frowns. Matteusz slept rather early.

"Matteusz?" Charlie shakes the boy's shoulder. "Matteusz!"

The boy groans, blinks blearily, and Charlie notes with alarm that there is a strange fluid dripping from his boyfriend's nose. Matteusz sniffles, and his eyes are red.

"Miss Quill!" Charlie's voice rises, and Matteusz groans again, hiding underneath the blankets. Charlie tugs them away, and steadies Matteusz's limp face. He recoils.

"Miss Quill!"

Matteusz is burning, Charlie panics, pressing his hand against the human's skin. Rhodia and Quill have higher body temperature than humans, but he is certain it is Matteusz who's burning up.

"Is he dead?" Miss Quill asks, spinning on the spot warily. "Has someone murdered him in his sleep?"

"No!" Charlie says, "I hope."

He taps at Matteusz's face, and the human closes his eyes, moaning incoherently.

"What's wrong, Matteusz?" Charlie asks. "Miss Quill, look this up!"

"How?!"

"Abnormally high body temperature, strange fluid coming out from the nose, uh, red eyes-"

Miss Quill retrieves her tablet and begins typing. Matteusz mumbles, now mostly awake.

"I'm fine," he insists. "Sick, maybe."

"Sick?" Charlie repeats. The word is foreign to him. "Um, how do you spell that?"

"The Internet is telling me he may have something called cancer." Miss Quill inputs.

"Cancer? Like- the crab?" Charlie blinks. "Is that another human slang term? Do you have crabs, Matteusz?"

"No!" Matteusz says fiercely, as loud and strong as his normal speaking voice. "I'm just sick!" His voice is nasal.

"Oh my stars," Charlie can feel panic set in. "He's dying."

"Call your human friends," Miss Quill says, "I'll begin writing the eulogy."

"I'm not dying," Matteusz insists, torn between amusement and annoyance.

"Are you delirious?" Charlie asks, voice rising in pitch, and fumbles through his pockets for his phone.

"I'm the human here," Matteusz frowns, pressing his face into the pillow. "Just get a cold wet towel and-"

"April!" Charlie says, as the girl picks up. "I need your help, it's an emergency!"

"Is something invading?" April asks, sounding as worried as he is.

"No, no," Charlie says, "But maybe worse. Matteusz has crabs and he's dying and I need your help!"

"Matteusz has what?" April sounds rightfully shocked.

"Is not crabs!" Matteusz groans from his position on the couch. "Just sick!"

Charlie ignores him. Miss Quill has gotten out pen and paper and is writing something down.

"He's very hot and there's something coming out of his nose and-"

"Okay, okay, I'm heading over to your house," April cuts him off. "Just stay calm. Get a cold wet towel and put it on Matteusz's forehead, and keep him covered in blankets."

"But he's so hot!" Charlie says, staring frightfully at his boyfriend. "Won't that make things worse?"

"Trust me, Charlie," April says, and Charlie is appalled at the amusement in her voice. "I'm the human here, right?"

"Fine," Charlie says, though his worry does not ease in the slightest. "Please get here quickly."

"I'll try my best. Stay calm, you're no help if you're panicking."

"Thank you, I'll see you soon," Charlie says, and hangs up. He breathes in deeply.

Yes, he must remain calm. Princes need to be calm and in control and-

"What are you doing?" Matteusz asks, staring at Miss Quill and her constant scribbling.

"I'm writing your will," Miss Quill says, as though it's normal.

"Isn't that the job of someone close to the deceased?" Charlie asks, feeling somewhat offended.

"Well it is a Quill custom," Miss Quill frowns. "Unless you want to give him one of your scales right now."

"In a moment," Charlie says, kneeling next to his boyfriend. Matteusz looks spacey, with a minute grin on his face.

"Should I call one of those humans with the hats?" Miss Quill asks, still writing.

"After April arrives," Charlie says, and lays a hand on Matteusz's arm. The human boy chuckles lowly. "Can you get a cold, wet towel for me?"

Miss Quill still does not break in her writing, and exits for the kitchen.

"Overreacting," Matteusz murmurs, and Charlie's turns. blinking up at the prince.

"I'm not so sure," Charlie says, as Matteusz's arm rises from under the covers and grasps Charlie's. Charlie slips both of their hands under the blankets. "April says to keep you under blankets at all times."

Matteusz pouts, but then coughs and brings the blanket over his mouth.

"Can I get some tissues?"

Charlie obliges, still not entirely sure his boyfriend isn't about to keel over and die. He trusts April's word (and Matteusz's, but perhaps he is delirious), but he is still terrified.

Who knew humans could die so easily? Charlie thinks as he hands the box to Matteusz.

"I am sick, not dying," Matteusz says, perhaps seeing the look on Charlie's face. He tugs out a tissue and wipes the odd liquid off his face. He sniffles, and then makes an odd noise. Charlie blinks.

"What was that?"

"Blowing my nose."

"Why?"

And Matteusz gives him that Look. The Look that preceded many an explanation of human customs, like traffic lights or casual greetings or why Charlie couldn't simply taste things in the supermarket before paying for them.

"It's a human thing," Charlie concludes, frowning. "Like you being... sick."

"I cannot believe you do not get sick." Matteusz says, voice ever so nasal. Charlie wonders if his voice will stay like that forever.

"No, Rhodians do not wake up with a very high internal temperature and strange liquids coming out of our noses," Charlie replies, setting aside the box of tissues and taking Matteusz's hand again underneath the covers.

"Here you go," Miss Quill says, walking back over with a damp towel. "Where does this go?"

"Forehead," Matteusz says, attempting a smile.

Miss Quill gives a puzzled look, but relents and folds the towel onto the boy's forehead.

"Are you sure you're not dying?" Miss Quill asks, arms crossing.

"Yes," Matteusz sighs. "I am sure."

"You are awfully warm."

"It is called a fever. My body is attempting to burn up the virus."

"Virus?" Miss Quill and Charlie echo, just as there's a knock on the front door.

"That would be April," Charlie says to Miss Quill. "What do you mean by virus?"

"Is there a specific civilisation I should retaliate against?" Miss Quill asks as she walks towards the front door.

"That is not what it means," Matteusz groans, and the door opens.

"Ah, Miss MacLean, can you guarantee that Matteusz won't die on my couch?"

April's face goes familiarly blank, before she smiles and says, "I'm positive Matteusz isn't dying. Of anything."

"It is only a fever," Matteusz tries to yell as Miss Quill lets April in. "Do not believe Charlie, he is overreacting."

"I could tell," April says, in a pained, yet amused tone. "I doubt any of you have thermometers here, so..." She sets her bag on the floor and pulls out a white box with a red cross on it.

"Are you a medic?" Miss Quill asks as April cracks open the box.

"Oh, no, but I took a first-aid class and know how to deal with the common flu," April offers, pulling out a thin, plastic stick with a metallic tip.

"What is that?"

"A thermometer," April says, now failing to keep the incredulousness out of her voice. "How do you measure temperature?"

"Well, I was... what was the term?" Charlie's brows furrow in concentration.

"Sheltered," Miss Quill cuts in. "And the Quill have specialists."

"Didn't you lead an army?" April asks, and the thermometer beeps.

"I lead several armies, thank you very much," Miss Quill corrects. "But there are certain Quill nestlings who are particularly suited to certain tasks and-"

Matteusz opens his mouth, but doesn't speak, and April sets the metallic tip into his mouth. Charlie and Miss Quill stare.

"It's taking his temperature," April explains, and Matteusz rolls his eyes.

"How long does this peculiar process take?" Miss Quill asks, seemingly curious.

"Less than five minutes?"

"Interesting."

"Matteusz said this... fever was his body attempting to destroy a virus," Charlie says, and Matteusz groans on the couch. "Has someone infected him?"

April does her own version of the Look Matteusz usually gives Charlie. Less amused and more... concerned? Puzzled.

"Um, no," she says. "Sometimes this stuff just happens. I mean, the virus is definitely alive, and it's trying to survive by infecting more people, but no- er... person did this to him."

"Can we communicate with these viruses?" Miss Quill asks.

"…No."

Miss Quill hums. April should be concerned.

"So what was the Internet saying about Matteusz having crabs?" Charlie asks.

Matteusz interrupts.

"He means cancer," he says through the thermometer in his mouth. "Google was telling him I had cancer."

An 'oh' look comes over April's face, and she shakes her head. A smile rises and Matteusz sighs.

"Is he allowed to speak during this process?" Miss Quill queries.

"Not too much," April says, but relaxes. "And Google may be helpful most of the time, but it is spectacularly bad at determining illnesses."

"I told you I was fine," Matteusz grumbles, and the thermometer beeps in emphasis.

April takes it out of Matteusz's mouth and eyes the electronic end of it. Charlie peers over her shoulder.

"What do those numbers mean? Is he going to be okay?"

"A hundred and one," April recites, going back to her white box and pulling out a tissue. "He'll be fine."

Matteusz shoots Charlie a look that says, 'I told you so'. Charlie isn't swayed.

"So when will this fluid stop coming out of his nose?"

"It's just his nose running," April says, packing up the box. "It's from the fever."

"Running where?"

Matteusz tugs the sheets over his head and April's smile is now permanently frozen on her face.

"How about we let Matteusz rest a bit," April says, trying to keep her laughter contained. "And I'll explain the common flu to you two."

"Are you sure the viruses' creator won't attack him in his sleep?" Miss Quill asks.

"Yes," April says, momentarily considering dragging Tanya and Ram down with her. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Matteusz surfaces from the cocoon of bed sheets and give her a pained look. April returns it.

"Perhaps I should stay with him-"

"That is very sweet, Charlie," Matteusz says, and April is sure Charlie would panic if Matteusz so much as breathed too shallowly. "But I would like to rest alone right now."

"Oh, okay then," Charlie says, somewhat disheartened.

"A good cure for the flu is chicken soup!" April says, trying to brighten up the mood. "I'll teach you two how to make it."

"Do chicken have specifically anti-virus properties?" Miss Quill asks as April starts for the kitchen.

As April struggles to answer seriously, and she and Miss Quill depart for the kitchen, Charlie’s hands tangle together in absence of his human's.

“Sleep well,” he says, softly, and kisses Matteusz’s forehead.

Matteusz tries a smile.

"Thank you, Charlie."

**Author's Note:**

> [Check me out on tumblr for more stuff on writing.](http://imaginal.tumblr.com/)


End file.
